Last.



No. 674,072. Patented May I4, |901. W. B. ARNOLD.

LAST.

(Application led Jan. 7, 1901.)

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WILLIAM B. ARNOLD, OF NORTH ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 674,072, dated May 14,1901.

Application filed January 7,1901. Serial No. 42,335. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM B. ARNOLD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of North Abington, county of Plymouth, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lasts, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention is an improvement in lasts, and has relation to that formof last which has heretofore been provided for followers, in which thefore part and heel part are hinged together, and the fore part isdivided for the purpose of providing convenient expansiveness foryieldingly lling out the shoe or boot. Various kinds of divided foreparts have been provided and suggested, the most common thereof beingthose in which the fore part has been severed into two halves simply bya vertical cut extending from the toe to the heel. In practice I havefound that it is desirable for the most perfect manufacture of shoesthat the portion of the fore part which ills the instep of the shoeshall not be movable or distensible, but shall remain in one fixed shapeand condition, leaving all the expansibility to take place adjacent thebottom of the last, and preferably mainly between the opposite sideedges thereof. Accordingly I have invented a last meeting the aboverequirements and having certain other advantages of manufacture andconvenience'of construction, all of which will be more fully pointed outin the course of the following detailed description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment of my invention isshown, and the latter will be more definitely set forth in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings, Figure l represents my invention in side elevation.Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view takenon the lines 3 3.

It will be understood that the last will conform in general shape to theparticular style or kind of last desired, or, in other words, that myinvention may be applied to any of the ordinary kinds of lasts.

As herein shown, the heel part a and fore part a are joined together bya hinge a2, having holding enlargements at its ends embedded in therespective parts of the lasts, the fore part and heel part being severedalong any suitable lines of cut, as those indicated at a4 a5. The forepart a is divided into two parts o. a7 by a vertical cut extendingapproximately half-way up through the last, as indicated at a8, one ofsaid parts, preferably the inside portion of the last, having the top orinstep part a9 of the last left integral therewith and separated fromthe portion a7 by a horizontal cnt am, leaving an overhanging part cl2,which includes substantially all of the instep part of the last. Thehinge is herein shown as secured to the heel part and to the part a ofthe fore part, the portion a7 thereof being movable laterally relativelyto said hinge. The two portions c6007 of the fore part are held togetherby means of screw bolts or studs als, screwed into one part, hereinshown as a6, and having their heads a retained in recesses a in theopposite portion of the fore part. The said portions of the fore partare retained yieldingly separated by any suitable means, as by thesprings al,

By having two or more of the retaining bolts or screws the parts areheld in sufficient rigidity, even though the portion a7 is not securedto the hinge of the last, although it will be understood that I do notlimit myself in these or other respects otherwise than as expressed inthe claims.

This construction provides a top or instep portion which will not expandand brings the expansion at the point of the shoe where it is effectiveand adapts itself to the different widths of shoes, expanding at or nearthe sole portion and leaving them in a more Workmanlike condition at theinstep and top portion thereof. In relasting it is the ball portion ofthe shoe that requires cxpansiomand particularly so for the differentWidths; but the upper part of the shoe is much more readily handled ifit is not spread out or disturbed.

This is especially so in balmorals, which are adjusted by the lacing andare stretchedand ironed out to better advantage if not spread apart atthe lacing. This construction also gives greater stability or solidityof support for use as a follower.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

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1. A last provided with a fore part and heel part hinged together, andhaving its fore part formed` in two independent portions, one of saidportions having the instep part of the last formed integrally therewithand Overhanging the other portion of said fore part, means formaintaining said two portions Of the fore part in proper relativealinement, and means for holding them in separated or expanded positionWithin a shoe.

2. An expansible last, having the portion thereof which is 'to fill theforward part of the shoe, divided longitudinallyvby a eut extended uppart way through the last, and thence out at one side leaving anundivided instep portion formed integrally With one side of the last,and the portion of the last at the other side and beneath said instepbeing movable toward and from the rest of the last, means formaintaining said two portions in proper relative alinelnent, and .meansfor holding them in separated or expanded position within a shoe.

In testimony whereoil I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM B. ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. MAXWELL, GEO. W. GREGORY.

